Suffolk-based Abbeycroft Leisure has won the Training & Development Award in the prestigious Anglian Business Awards.

The regional awards, in their 14th year and organised by East Anglia's daily newspaper the East Anglian Daily Times, were announced at a gala dinner ceremony hosted by BBC television and radio presenter John Humphrys.

Abbeycroft, a leisure trust and social enterprise, was presented with the award, sponsored by Suffolk New College, in front of 200 guests at Trinity Park, Ipswich.

The trust manages both Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centres in Suffolk in partnership with St Edmundsbury Borough Council and The Gym Ipswich.

Matt Hickey, Abbeycroft's Fitness Manager, is one of the members of staff who have benefitted from Abbeycroft's now award-winning training and development and in turn Matt has used his skills to help the trust grow its business. He said: "The training and development that Abbeycroft offers is second to none. I have directly benefitted from the management programmes they have sent staff on and it helped me to put together the proposal for the trust's new affordable gym in Ipswich. My proposal was approved and I have been involved in the project every step of the way. The new venture in Ipswich has been a tremendous success and it proves that if companies invest in their staff, they and the employees can reap the rewards."

For Abbeycroft Leisure, this was the third award it has won this year. In May Abbeycroft won Large Business of the Year and Marketing Strategy of the Year at the Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre was also shortlisted for Centre of the Year in UK Fitness Industry Association (FIA) & Matrix Flame Awards.

Warren Smyth, Chief Executive of Abbeycroft Leisure, said: "This is our third award win this year and follows two Quest awards for our Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centres which were highly commended. We are absolutely delighted that the hard work of the management and staff at Abbeycroft Leisure is being recognised in this way." In May 2010 Abbeycroft Leisure, which runs Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centres, was only the second organisation in Suffolk to receive the Social Enterprise Mark and only one of six leisure trusts in the UK.

Photograph: (L to R) Mary Gleave, Associate Principal and Orville Gardener, Vice Principal, business development, from Suffolk New College; Alison Bowyer and Warren Smyth of Abbeycroft Leisure (centre), and broadcaster John Humphreys. Photo courtesy of David Garrad, Digipix / East Anglian Daily Times